Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's exposure to noise during military service is sufficient evidence of an in-service injury. The hearing loss claim was denied as there is no medical evidence linking current hearing loss to service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for additional development, including scheduling an examination to determine the current severity of his hearing loss and providing an opinion as to its etiology. The case will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for left axilla scar, left wrist scar, and left foot disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and the effective date of his 100% disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is set at November 2, 2003.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in his left ear, erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus, and cholesteatoma and perforated tympanic membrane of his right ear. The veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss were not incurred as a result of an established event, injury, or disease during active service. The evidence does not support a connection between the current disabilities and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and assigned a 10 percent rating for duodenal ulcer, resolving doubt in the veteran's favor.

The VA denied a compensable rating for the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no medical evidence showing that the disability warranted such a rating prior to April 25, 2003.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of left wrist fracture, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and deviated nasal septum. The reasons were that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active military service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals found that the veteran's hearing loss is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart disorders and shell fragment wounds to his back. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder/major depressive disorder, bilateral hearing loss, muscle injury to the left thigh, and tinnitus, do not render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic left ear hearing loss disability is service-connected, but his chronic right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not. The examiner at the September 2004 VA examination found no evidence of onset during or proximate to active service for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the claims.

The Board found that the objective and probative medical evidence was in equipoise as to whether the veteran's right ear hearing loss is attributable to exposure to acoustic trauma experienced during active service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA compensation standards.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, asbestos exposure, chemical exposure to the hands and feet, and a bilateral foot injury. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.